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I am part of some really grate writing groups on LinkedIn, one of them dose a monthly short story contest, the group is lively with lots of active members. I haven’t joined in on one of these monthly contest yet, (mind you its just for fun, and practice our righting, and righting outside our comfort zones.) but I figured it was worth a shot. All the competitions have a different set of parameters, but all are 600-715 words. This one was suspense, it had to start with someone on their day off, and end with them getting news that will change their life.

I have never written suspense before, and none of my other short stories are under 1,000 words, I thinks that’s why this one interested me. So here it is, my entry I didn’t get to enter.

The Rain Keeps Falling

715 words

She leaned against the island in the middle of the kitchen, a fresh cup of coffee in hand, staring out the big bay window, past the dirty glass and out into the gray damp morning. “Of course, it had to rain today. All I wanted to do was pull the weeds, my poor flowers look like they are lost in a jungle.”

Taking a sip from her cup, she nearly drops it as the freshly brewed coffee sears the tip of her tongue. Setting the cup down she slowly scans her home, the thick dust with little paw prints scattered through it, a sink full of coffee cups and spoons, a dead bouquet in a dry vase. “I really have let this place go haven’t I Storm? What am I to do when it’s just you and me?” She says scratching the little gray tiger striped cat under her uplifted chin.

Her cell phone breaks the silence ringing with Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 9. She let it play on for a moment before answering. “Good morning, Stacy Smitten speaking.”

“Good Morning Miss. Smitten. Mr. Cotter wanted more copies printed up for your presentation. You know the one he reassigned to Mike Garfield. Any way I need your password so I can get to the files. It’s right on your desktop right?” Stacy’s young and anxious intern Mandy asked in a slightly wavering voice, always the kiss up hiding behind a blocky pair of red plastic glasses, but full of potential, and Stacy’s favorite.

“You always sound like you think you’re in trouble Mandy, try calming down now and then would you. Yes on the desk top you cannot miss it, and the password, it’s ‘come home soon’, every other letter in caps starting with the first letter. I feel like I haven’t been home in ages, is there anything else?” She said sounding only a little aggravated, after all she had given the girl this information several times before she left the office for her week off.

“Right Miss. Smitten, sorry, I know I um… sorry. If I can ask ma’am… has there been any word yet?” The girl asked, more timidly than usual.

“No, nothing yet, but I know he is out there, he has to be. Thank you for asking Mandy, good bye.” she hung up her cell phone without waiting for the girl to respond. “She meant well at least.”

She took a long deep swallow of her coffee, taking in the quiet morning again. “Nothing like that first cup of coffee in the morning.”

She looked out the cloudy window once again hoping to see the rain clouds broken and the sun shining bright, but beyond the dust-covered glass all she found was a wall of water. “Now what am I to do? Cleaning really doesn’t interest me, there’s no point when no one will be coming over. I’m talking to myself again. Let’s just say I was talking to you stormy, that sounds better.” She says giving the cat a little scratch between the ears.

“Maybe a little T.V. will help fill the quiet. Some day Max will fill that quiet with the pitter-patter of my grandchildren’s feet. He will make such a wonderful father and husband one day.” She said to the loudly purring bundle of fur as she pet her, flipping through the channels with her free hand. Disappointed she shut the T.V. off, and drank some more of her coffee.

A nock on the door made her jump, “Now who is could that possibly be?” She walked to the door slowly and peered out the tiny window, only the top of a soaked army green hat, and a wet pink cheek visible through the small glass pain.

Her heart jumping she says “Max.”

Taking a deep breath, she wipes a single tear from her cheek, and opens the door slowly.

Standing in the pouring rain she sees three somber faced youths, fully dressed in all there army finery, the one in front holding a folded American flag. Her heart drops like a stone to the bottom of her stomach, slowly she sinks to the floor, as she whispers “No”. Her tears flow and everything fades away, but the rain keeps falling as she sits alone.

My oldest son will be 11 soon, and yes he is changing right before my eyes. This both terrifies me and makes me happy, because he is growing up. I struggle to balance my work and my family like most other parents out there in the world, and there are times we feel as though we are failing. My sons grades have started to slip, they are still good grades but almost all of them down from the beginning of the year. I can see his frustration, but when I try to help he gets angry with me. He used to love reading and doesn’t any more. His teachers tell me how smart he is, and the reasons for his slipping grades are small and fixable, but he wont cooperate with me. I know I don’t spend enough time with my children ether, and he is in a lot of extra activities all year long. I am hoping things will get better this summer when he and I will have time to write the story he wants to do with me, but I don’t know how to help him now.

Any parents out there in my position before or now? I wouldn’t normally post something like this on my blog, but is this not like a community? So I thought I would ask from others who have been there done that. As much as I hate to admit it, I wasn’t exactly given the best child raising skills growing up, I learned a bit what not to do. So I am feeling a little lost, groping my way through the dark. What have you done?

So hows things? Its been quite some time hasn’t it? You know how life can get in the way some times. Yeah, I even turned off my computer for two months strait. Let me tell you it wasn’t easy, but I had to do it for my family. I realized I spend a lot of time on my computer, yes I am a writer but that doesn’t make it easier on my kids to have my time taken up with writing.

Things have changed a lot over the past few months though. I finished my children’s book Willie The Wood Gnome, it feels good to just have it done and be happy with the end result. Though my co-writer did not contribute to the finale draft, only the first. I took a couple weeks to research my next steps to get my labor of love out into the world. I sent it off to two agents and one publisher I felt suited the manuscript. I heard back from the publisher within a couple days, I was surprised to say the least. They said “We look forward to reading your manuscript! We will get back to you within three months with our decision.” It will be three months on the 22nd of next month, and I have been biting my nails (metaphorically speaking) the hole time! At the same time I have been speaking with a very wonderful woman I meant on Linkedin. I asked her, not realizing she ran her own small publishing company, if she would take a look at my manuscript because a family member had said the scan was off. She said yes and I sent it to her after my time off from my computer was over. Long story short: Willie The Wood Gnome is going to get published, and best of all I get to do the art like I want! Now if only I could get out of my rut with my novels and I would be doing great.

So tell my how have you been? Have you struggled with work through the holidays. Have you been stuck on a project? Have things gone well? I always love to hear what your up to 😀

I found it, it just hit me out of the blue? I was starting a post yesterday, a letter to a friend I lost a few months ago. Though we had not spoken for a long time, he had mad a large impact in my life, him and his wife. I even dated his step son, I care for them all deeply, but that’s how I am. My circle may not seem that big, but those in it mean a lot to me, I connect deeply with those of like minded souls. Not complaining simply stating, this is mainly do to how I grew up, my life was not good plainly put. Before my friend Willie passed my sister and I started writing a children’s book based on this wonderful man, Willie The Wood Gnome (his nickname). We are still working on it, and it will still be dedicated to him, just in his memory now.

I did not get to go to his funeral, I did not get to say goodbye. Even now my eyes fill with tears to know I will never get to see him again. As I was writing the post, a letter to Willie like my last goodbye I didn’t get, inspiration took hold of me like it hasn’t for some time now. Not only did I do some rewriting for Willie The Wood Gnome and send it off to my sister, but I did a lot of writing for Helix as well.

I had been vary unhappy with my new first chapter (I had scraped all but my prologue), but I wasn’t happy with where it was going, it was all off somehow and it got me stuck. Last night after working on that post, that I haven’t finished, it hit me, a hole new start. It was bugging me before I went to bed, poking the back of my brain saying “Write, you know you want to. I’m here now, let me out.” Funny how our creations can be so forceful, but my body needed sleep, it was late already. I knew none of it would leave me, sometimes if I don’t write it down at that moment it comes to me its lost, but not this. I am now half threw a new first chapter, its almost perfect in my eyes, witch is rare for me. I tend to be overly critical of my own work.

So I feel like I have to say thank you Willie. Thank you for being my friend, for advice and all the good times we had, thank you for bringing my inspiration back to me. I will miss you dearly my friend. :-*(

Kristen lamb’s blog has been a grate source of advice for me on my journey as a writer, and this post is no exception. Such a awesome post in fact I thought I would share it with all of you as well. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 🙂

Advice doesn’t always fit, we are all different and what works for me may not work for you. I found this post from a writer through one of my Linkedin writers groups I joined. Lots of writers add there blog post (it is actually a discussion and you need to go to the blog to read it all), however I don’t always get the chance to read ones I find interesting from the title, but I had to read this one. I’m glad I did, because she is right, not all famous writer’s advice fits every writer. I hope you read it and enjoy it as much as I did! Let me know do you agree or disagree? Did some of these methods work for you, or did you find a different way of doing it? I always love hearing from you.

My mother posted this on FaceBook.com today. I haven’t heard this quote before, but I like it, its true on many levels, so I thought I would share. I have been having a hard time with my health as of late, I wont bore you with details, but in a way this made me feel a little better about it all, as the words ring so true to life.